Interview: Benjamin Sanford, Asylum Restorer/Preservationist

Benjamin and I have been following each other on Instagram for a while, and watching the preservation work he's done has been absolutely amazing. Fortunately, during my annual trip to Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, I've been able to see the progress first-hand. It was really important for me to highlight his passion and work - he truly is saving history.

Make sure to follow him on IG @preserver87

1.) Tell us who you are and a little about what you do at Trans-Allegheny.

My name is Benjamin Sanford and I probably have one of the coolest jobs. I work at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum as a restorer/preservationist and a haunted house builder. During the winter months of the year I work along with a crew of about six other people restoring a section of the building back to the way it used to look in the 1800s when the building was originally opened. The majority of the areas we restore are the center sections on each of the four floors. We restore these areas because in the mid 1900s they did modifications where they covered up, and most of the time, destroyed original crown molding and archways to do so. Once the main building opens for tours in the Spring I work preserving the building and its grounds, and start work on the haunted house for the fall time. 

2.) How long have you been doing preservation?

I've been doing preservation and restoration work for three years now. 

3.) What got you interested in preservation?

Originally I wasn't interested in preservation and restoration work. I started out at Trans-Allegheny as an actor in the haunted house. After my first weekend acting I showed up the next Monday to help work on the haunted house and was offered a job the same day. After that year's haunted house I stayed on the staff permanently. I had no idea what I would be doing. Once we started on the restoration for that Winter I was terrified because I had no idea what the restoration and preservation would consist of. At the time I had only the basic skills of certain carpentry and construction. Nothing as advanced as what I know now. 

4.) Tell us what in specific you do as a preservationist (i.e., peeling back layers of paint to find the original colors, restoring crown molding, etc):

The restoration and preservation process is labor intensive. We usually start off by demoing additions that were added around the 1940s. Once we have that all out we move to removing all the peeling paint on the walls, ceiling, archways (if there are any in that specific area), and molding. Next we start the most labor intensive part, the plaster. We put a couple of thick layers of plaster on the walls and ceilings to incapsulate the lead paint. If there are small sections of molding or archway missing we actually build it back by hand using the plaster. If there are larger sections missing we'll make a silicone mold of an intact area of molding or archway and use a chemical mixture that is used to make the same foam found in car and truck seats. Sometimes the foam is better because it's lightweight and reduces stress put on the decaying building. After all the plaster is on and sanded we move to fixing the tongue and groove flooring. Then comes the painting and electrical work. We usually stick with just basic white for the walls and ceilings. It makes everything brighter. The molding and archways are a different story. When we're removing the old paint off of them we usually find many different layers of colors that were used. Sometimes we'll use one of those, or another color that would've been used in the time period we are restoring it to. Bright, healing colors are what we go for. Then it's just odds and ends. Chandeliers, furniture, decorations, and cleaning top off the restoration work just in time for the opening day of tours. 

5.) What’s your favorite part about your job?

There are so many facets that I love about my job. Probably the thing I love the most is just how much I get to learn every year working there. There's always a new technique that I'm able to experiment with and master working at the Asylum. 

 6.) Tell us a little about the history of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum:

The Asylum was commissioned in 1850 and construction on the main building began in 1858. The Civil War interrupted the construction in 1861. Construction resumed in 1862 and the first patients were admitted in 1864. Construction didn't formally end until 1873 with the completion of separate living areas for people of color. It operated until 1994 when it was closed. The West Virginia Department of Health auctioned the Asylum off in 2007. It was bought for $1.5 million by its current owner. 

7.) Do you feel you’ve developed a personal connection with Trans-Allegheny and its history?

Absolutely. Tearing out sections that were added later on to expose the original work that was done in the 1800s gives me that connection. I get to see a piece of history. Techniques and work that was done over 100 years ago. And to be able to study that and replicate it and to be involved in work that is rarely done anymore these days is just amazing in my opinion. 

8.) What’s something you want people to know about the history at Trans-Allegheny (this could be a lesser known story or just something you find interesting)?

I want people to know just how much work and manpower went in to constructing this building and the work it takes to keep it preserved. The construction of the building was started in 1858 and wasn't finished until 1881 (17 years after it was opened in 1864). It's a massive property that today only a handful of us keep up. It's a lot of hard work, but I love it. 

9.) What does Trans Allegheny and its history stand to teach us today?

It stands to teach us that mental illness can be compassionately treated rather than just locking people away from society. The building is only capable of holding 250 patients, but at its peak held 2600 patients in overcrowded and poor conditions. It was as if there was never any plan to actually treat patients for their illnesses for them to be productive members of the community. 

10.) In your opinion, why is preservation important?

I think preservation is important because history is important. History makes the people we are today, whether it's good or bad. In the case of preservation I think it's important that people see how the building originally looked on the inside and are able to see techniques that were used back then. 

11.) What is the biggest thing you’ve learned while being a preservationist?

There's so many things I've learned that it's hard to pick just one. I think hand sculpting plaster molding and archways is one of the biggest things I've learned. It's a very time consuming and tedious job, but the outcome is totally worth it after its sanded down and painted. It really draws people's eyes to it and makes the areas it's in stand out. 

12.) Trans-Allegheny is one of the few Kirkbride asylums left standing…that’s pretty special. What does that mean to you?

To me it means that I'm a part of history. I'm one of the few people on Earth that gets to preserve and learn an architectural style that is becoming extinct. 

13.) Have you ever found any neat artifacts left behind (patient documents, personal belongings, etc)? If so, tell us about it.

We're always finding interesting things that have been left behind. Just the other day I found a dietary guideline pamphlet from the 70s. Other things I've found include blueprints from when they put in the elevator, nurse sign in and sign out lists, security check documents, and old prescription papers. The coolest things I find though are tools, equipment, and building materials that were used in the late 1800s, early 1900s. I love finding old square nails that they used to build things. Things that give you an idea of how the building process was in the 19th century. 

14.) What separates Trans Allegheny from other mental institutions?  Both in the past and today?

What separates Trans-Allegheny from other mental institutions from the past is just how ingrained it is in the state's history. During the Civil War when Virginia seceded from the United States they wanted the unused funds returned for defense in the war. But an infantry unit from Ohio stole the money from the local bank. That money was used to help create the Reorganized Government of Virginia and they allocated money to resume construction of the Asylum. Today what sets it apart from other mental institutions of the time for one, is it is still standing, and it's being restored to the way it was when it was originally opened. There aren't many restoration projects on over 100 year old insane asylums happening these days. 

15.) Why should someone go out of their way to visit TALA?

I think people should visit Trans-Allegheny not only for all the historical value that is available, but also to take in the sheer beauty of the property. Pictures of the building don't do it justice. You have to see it in person. The tours are definitely worth the money. And all the money that is made at the Asylum is used to continue preserving and restoring the building. 

16.) In a theoretical parallel universe, if the government wanted to reopen TALA as an asylum and get it running again, do you think that would be a good idea in today's world?

I would say yes. If the government invested the funds to meet today's standards in both building code and mental health treatments it would work. It's a large facility, and there's plenty of farm land around the Asylum for patients to be productive. With the current move towards more environmentally friendly operations in the world today, being able to revitalize the farm for the Asylum to be self sustaining again would also be a good idea. 

-J

Architecture: The Kirkbride Plan

Kate and I would agree that Kirkbride asylums are easily one of our favorite things to talk about; their architecture is arguably the most impressive we’ve ever seen.  In fact, this is one of the things that instantly made us friends!  “You love Kirkbrides? Me too!”  Almost every state in America had at least one of these institutions; and many states had more than one.  In our prior post, I mentioned that I grew up near the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia and Kate lived near Northampton State Hospital in Massachusetts (both Kirkbrides).

In this post, we want to give you the history of Kirkbride asylums, the man behind the architectural plan, and hopefully a good reason why you should love these buildings, too.
Fair warning: if we went into all the specific details, this post would be hundreds of pages long…and we don’t want you to fall asleep. In future posts, we will highlight individual hospitals to cover their history specifically.

Prior to the turn of the 19^th century, those suffering from mental illness were often locked up in basements, attics, poorhouses, and prisons.
It was much easier to shackle a schizophrenic to a wall than to provide the help they needed.
Often times, these individuals were left without the basic needs of food, water, and clothing; their living conditions were beyond inhumane.  Society’s thinking at this time was “out of sight, out of mind”.  Mental illness was viewed as an embarrassment and some even thought it was a sign of demonic possession.  These were society’s unwanted and forgotten.

The Man with The Plan

In 1840, a physician by the name of Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride (pictured right) became the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane in Philadelphia. 

In 1844, he took part in meeting with other hospital superintendents to form the country’s first national medical society:  the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane.  Today, this organization is known as the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Kirkbride was arguably one of the most influential pioneers in mental health history and was an advocate for “moral treatment” of the insane (our hero).  Moral treatment meant that patients would be treated with respect and dignity, no matter who they were.  Kirkbride said  “…for I know of no reason why an individual who has the misfortune to become insane, should, on that account, be deprived of any comfort or even luxury..."  For the first time, the insane were being seen as people and not just their illness.  He had a vision that state hospitals for the insane could be built  to a certain architectural plan that would be appealing to both patients and the public alike.  In his book, On the Construction, Organization and General Arrangements of Hospitals for the Insane, Kirkbride outlines a detailed plan of asylum construction and operations.  This book was first written in 1854 and then revised in 1880.  These institutions would be a sanctuary for patients and the buildings themselves would be part of their therapy.  As a psychology major, it’s disappointing to me that we never learned more about Dr. Kirkbride in college.

Perhaps Dr. Kirkbride’s biggest advocate was author, teacher, and reformer, Dorothea Dix (pictured left).  In 1841, Dix went to teach Sunday school at the East Cambridge Women’s Prison in Massachusetts.  She was so appalled by the inhumane living conditions, it sparked her crusade to travel around the state to document the conditions of the mentally ill.  Dix’s grandmother was a wealthy woman and knew powerful people...  Dorothea used this to her advantage to convince the state of Massachusetts to expand the state hospital in Worcester. 

Traveling over 30,000 miles in 3 years, Dorothea met with many state legislatures to persuade them to provide better living conditions for the mentally ill.

In 1848, Trenton State Hospital in Trenton, New Jersey was the first asylum to be built based on the Kirkbride Plan.  Ironically, Dorothea would fall ill later in life and live at the hospital in Trenton, where she died in 1887.

The Kirkbride Plan

The most distinctive feature of the Kirkbride Plan is that the building itself would resemble a shallow “V”. There’s one core Administration section and the patient wards stagger off each other spreading outward.  It was incredibly important to Dr. Kirkbride that each ward wing sprawl from the next en echelon so there was plenty of fresh air and sunlight, plus unobstructed views for the patients.  The more well-behaved patients with less severe illnesses were housed on the higher  floors, closer to the Administration section, while the more violent and severe patients were housed on lower floors in the outer wards.  This was because when visitors came to the asylum, the staff did not want their most dangerous patients to be seen or heard.  In the earlier years, the upper floors of the center Administration section would house the hospital superintendent and their families.

(Photo Credit: Fergus Falls Journal)

(Photo Credit: traversecitymi.gov)

The wards were also segregated by sex; males in one wing, females in another.  Since males and females were housed on opposite sides of the building, outer buildings such as the chapel, kitchen, library, and auditorium were built directly behind the center Administration area for easy access.
(Top photo below: Ward C, Violent Female Ward, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum;
Bottom photo below: Ward F, Violent Male Ward, Trans- Allegheny Lunatic Asylum)




The Kirkbride Plan proposed these asylums be between 3-5 stories tall and house 250 patients, although the more modern plan could hold up to 600 patients… about 15 patients in each ward depending on the severity of their conditions.   These wards were to have a parlor, a dining room with a dumbwaiter (this made providing food for the 250 patients much easier), single lodging rooms, dorms with multiple beds, and bathrooms.

The staircases were large and winding, referred to as “coffin-style”. Depending on the geography of the land on which they were built, sometimes the building structures would be modified.

Each Kirkbride had a different architect, so while the architecture plan remained the same, they all had their own unique characteristics. 

The buildings were elegantly decorated with Victorian-era furniture and rugs.
Dr. Kirkbride insisted these institutions have a “cheerful and comfortable appearance, everything repulsive and prison-like should be carefully avoided”.
The ceilings were supposed to be at least 12 feet high and hallways at least 12 feet wide.  The photos above and below are my photos from the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.  (It really showcases the amazing preservation they’re doing). 

 

At least 100 acres of land were to be set aside for the asylum grounds… this was to give plenty of room for the gardens, farms, and exercise areas.  The hospital grounds were to be well maintained and aesthetically pleasing.  Most asylums had their own working farms, tended to by patients as a form of exercise and therapy.  If they had a productive outlet, it was thought to help cure their illness.  The locations for these asylums were in a more rural environment, away from the chaos of a big city.  However, they were to be close enough to a sizeable community or near a railroad for convenience of supplies and hiring outside work.

Towards the end of the 19^th century, there was little to no evidence that the buildings themselves provided a cure for mental illness.  In the 20^th century, the overcrowding of patients made the staff to patient ratio impossible for every patient to receive adequate care. 

(Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/MJLondonphotography)

In fact, some patients were mistreated, abused, and forgotten.  In 1955, the number of  people living in public psychiatric hospitals peaked at 560,000.  Many lawsuits were brought against these institutions for the living conditions and treatment of patients… literally, patients would be tied to beds covered in their own feces and may not have eaten for days.  Funding from the government was often cut short due to bad economic times and war.

Deinstitutionalization began in the 1950s and 1960s with the introduction of Chlorpromazine, better known as Thorazine and other anti-psychotic drugs.  There was no longer a need for long-term psychiatric stays; patients could now function in society with community mental health resources.  However, patients with chronic or severe illness could not function in society and ended up homeless.  In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act to provide federal funding for  more community-based facilities.  This program was never fully funded due to the Vietnam War.  In 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the Mental Health Systems Act, which was to improve community mental health programs and provide more services for those with long-term illness.  In 1981, President Ronald Reagan signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act that repealed Carter's legislation, giving block grants for the states; federal mental-health spending decreased by 30 percent.

In addition to budget cuts, the Kirkbride asylums were too large, not up to code, and too expensive to keep up and running.  New hospitals for the insane shifted towards multiple smaller buildings often connected by underground tunnels, called “The Cottage Plan” (which we’ll cover in a future post).


(Photo credit: https://www.facebook.com/MJLondonphotography)

If you’re interested in more specifics about the Kirkbride Plan, pick up Dr. Kirkbride’s book mentioned earlier: On the Construction, Organization and General Arrangements of Hospitals for the Insane.  The amount of detail that Kirkbride outlines is truly amazing… everything from the size of doors and windows, heating and ventilation systems, lighting, height and size of rooms, staff on hand, and more. 

Throughout the years, many Kirkbride asylums have been lost to due fires, vandalism, neglect, and demolition… 


(Photo credit: nj.com)

A few that are still standing have been renovated to apartments, hotels, and offices, and some are still in use as hospitals.  Thankfully, a handful of these institutions have opened museums dedicated to the hospital’s history, such as Patton State Hospital in San Bernadino, CA; Oregon State Hospital in Salem, OR; St. Joseph State Hospital in St. Joseph, MO; Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV; and more. 

(Photo cred: https://www.facebook.com/MJLondonphotography)

-J